 | Songs, Carols, and other Miscellaneous Poems, from the Balliol Ms. 354, Richard Hill's Commonplace book |  |
106
90. Hoow, gossip myne, gossip myn,
Whan will we go to þe wyne,
Good gossip[is myn?]
1
I shall you tell a full good sport,How gossippis gader them on a sort,
Ther seke bodyes to comforte
Whan they mete
In lane or stret,
God gossipis myn.
2
But I dare not, for þer dissplesans,Tell of þes maters half the substance,
But ȝet sum what of þer gouernance,
As ferre as I dare,
I will declare,
Good gossipis myn.
3
“Good gossip myn, wher haue ye be?Hit is so long sith I you see;
Wher is þe best wyne, tell you me!
Can ye owght tell?”
“Ye, full well,
Good gossippis myn.
107
4
I know a drawght of mery-go-down;The beste it is in all this town,
But yet I wolde not, for my gown,
My husbond wyste.”
“Ye may me triste,
Good gossipp[is] myn.”
5
“Call forth owr gossippis by & by,Elynore, Johan & Margery,
Margret, Alis & Cecely,
For þei will cum,
Both all & som,
Good gossippis myn, a!
6
And eche of them will sum what bryngGose or pigge, or capons wynge,
Pastes of pygynnes, or sum oþer thyng;
For we mvste ete
Sum maner mett,
Good gossippis myn, a!
7
Go beffore by tweyn & tweyn,Wisely þat ye be not seen,
For I mvste home & cum a-gayn,
To witt, ywis,
Wher my husbond is,
Good gossippis myn, a!
8
A strype or two God myght send me,Yf my husbond myght here see me.”
“She þat is a-ferde, lett her flee;”
Quod Alis than,
“I dred no man,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
9
“Now be we in þe tavern sett,A drawght of þe best lett hym fett,
To bryng owr husbondis owt of dett;
For we will spend
Till God more send,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
10
Eche of them browght forth þer disshe,Sum browght flesshe, & sum [browght] fisshe.
Quod Margret meke now with a wisshe:
“I wold Anne were here,
She wold mak vs chere,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
11
“How say ye, gossippis? Is þis wyn good?”“Þat is it,” quod Elynore, “by þe rode!
It chereth þe hart & comforteth þe blod.
Such jonkers amonge
Shall make vs leve long.
Good gossippis [myn, a]!”
12
Anne bade me fill a pot of Muscadell,“For of all wynes I love it well;
Swet wynes kepe my body in hele;
Yf I had it nowght,
I shuld tak thowght,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
13
“How loke ye, gossip, at þe bordis end?Not mery, gossip? God it amend!
All shall be well, els God defend;
Be mery & glad
& sit not so sade,
Good gossip myn, a!”
14
“Wold God I had don after your covnsell,108
He betith me lyke þe devill of hell,
And þe more I crye,
Þe lesse mercy,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
15
Alis with a lowde voys spak than:“Evis,” she said, “litill good he can,
Þat betith or striketh any woman,
And specially his wyff,
God geve hym short lyff,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
16
Margret meke said: “So mot I thryve,I know no man þat is a-lyve,
Þat gevith me II strokis, bvt he haue V:
I am not afferd,
Thowgh he haue a berde,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
17
On cast down her shot, & went a-way:“Gossip,” quod Elynore, “what dide she pay?”
“Not but a peny: loo, þer-for I say,
She shall no more
Be of owr lore,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
18
“Suche gestis we may haue ynow,Þat will not for þer shot alowe;
With whom com she, gossip?” “With you.”
“Nay,” quod Johan,
“I com aloon,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
19
“Now rekyn owr shot, & go we hens;What cummeth to eche of vs?” “But IIId.”
“Parde, þis is but a small expens
For suche a sorte,
& all but sporte,
Good gossipis myn, a!”
20
“Torn down þe stret, whan ye cum owt,& we will cumpas rownd a-bowt.”
“Gossip,” quod Anne, “what nedith þat dowt?
Your husbond is pleased,
Whan ye be eased,
Good gossippis myn, a!
21
What-so-euer any man thynk,We com for nowght but for good drynk;
Now let vs go home & wynke,
For it may be seen
Wher we haue ben,
Good gossippis myn, a!”
22
This is þe thowght þat gossippis take:Ons in þe wek, mery will they make,
& all small drynkis þei will forsake;
But wyne of þe best
Shall have no rest,
Good gossippis myn, a!
23
Sum be at þe tavern IIIse in þe weke,& so be sum euery day eke,
Or ellis þei will gron & mak them sek,
For thyngis vsed
Will not be refused;
Good gossippis myn, a!
Explicit.
| Songs, Carols, and other Miscellaneous Poems, from the Balliol Ms. 354, Richard Hill's Commonplace book | |